Yes, we have concluded a deal with the biggest oil giant to explore the 6 sectors

Kurdistan break the silence: Yes, we have concluded a deal with the biggest oil giant to explore the 6 sectors 11:24:14/11/2011 11:24:14 / 11/2011

Khandan - Breaking the Kurdistan region of the silence on signing a contract with Exxon Mobil, after he confessed to the highest officials of the signing of the contract mid last month, pointing out that Erbil agreed with Baghdad to raise the production rate of the region to 175 barrels per day next year, amid expectations that the a production field (Taq Taq) exceeded 120 thousand barrels per day.
Minister of Natural Resources in the Kurdistan region Ashti Hawrami, said that, he signed an agreement with U.S. oil major Exxon Mobil Corp. on October 18, regarding the 6 sectors in the region to explore.
The comments Hawrami, during a conference of gas and oil in Arbil, the capital of the province, the first official confirmation from the government in Kurdistan to sign an agreement with Exxon Mobil, the first major international company to enter the area.
The news agency Reuters the minister in the government of the province, who was speaking at a conference of Arbil on Sunday, "It is a binding agreement. Took place entirely in the October 18, 2011."
And Exxon declined to comment until now, should not the Ministry of Oil officials in the central government on phone calls from Reuters to comment on the announcement of the Government of the Kurdish region.
The adviser to the Government of Iraqi Kurdistan last Friday, said Exxon Mobil have signed agreements to explore for oil and gas with Iraqi Kurdistan, and was met with a warning from Baghdad stressed that such a step, has been the company's future in the country to danger.
Abdul-Mehdi al-Amidi; director of contracts and licenses the Iraqi Oil Ministry, said the central government sent 3 messages to Exxon Mobil last October warning of any contract concluded with the Kurdish government, would be considered illegal, explaining that such a deal could lead to the cancellation of the contract Exxon's the development of the first phase of West Qurna field, which has reserves of 8.7 billion barrels.
Exxon and won in partnership with Shell in 2009 a contract to develop the first stage of the field.
It was the resumption of exports from the region last February, after a long hiatus because of a dispute with Baghdad, and exports rose to about 160 thousand barrels per day, in the past few months.
In a speech during the conference, news agency (Voices of Iraq) Barham Saleh, President of the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq, that was signed 45 contracts so far with foreign companies, to work in the oil region of Iraqi Kurdistan, and Kurdistan is currently exported 150 thousand barrels per day, to be adopted within the next year, 175 thousand barrels per day.
Saleh said "the central system is an extension of the former regime in Iraq and that decentralization is the best system to protect the democratic experiment in Iraq."
And about the problems existing between Baghdad and Erbil on oil contracts, Saleh pointed out, "There is a difference of views on some of the vocabulary related to oil contracts, but there was also agreement need to export oil produced from the Kurdistan region of Iraq through the pipeline."
He added, "We have committed this year the export of 100 thousand barrels through the pipeline of Iraq, there is an agreement to export an average of 175 thousand barrels per day of the Kurdistan region during the next year, and every barrel produced in Kurdistan is added to the Iraqi budget, and this success is not to Kurdistan, but the success of all of Iraq"
He said the Prime Minister of the Territory "surprised at the position of Baghdad, and formerly they used to say that companies invested in the region, small and has no experience, I'd say that companies that have invested in Kurdistan companies are solid for the coming of Exxon Mobil, the largest oil company, a giant in the world, and this in itself a sign of confidence in this region and the evidence of the confidence the oil production in Kurdistan and all Iraq, and to this company's presence in southern Iraq. "
Salih stressed reach of his government to an agreement on the draft law of oil and gas, adding, "Now we must focus is on cooperation in order to submit a draft law of oil and gas to the parliament, as agreed with Prime Minister Maliki before the end of this year, and this will be the foundation, and Iraq need to maximize its oil imports and to harness these imports for the Iraqi people everywhere. "
Saleh met with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in central Baghdad recently to discuss disputes over oil between the central government and semi-autonomous northern region, while Iraqi officials confirmed that the two leaders agreed during the meeting, amendments to the oil law is controversial.
The dispute Baghdad and Arbil for a long time on oil and earth, and the Kurdish government signed a series of deals to develop oil fields with foreign companies, but the government in Baghdad is these deals are illegal. Meanwhile, expect Helge Ed CEO (De. That. Or) Norwegian oil, on Sunday, to increase oil production capacity in the field of Tawke to 100 thousand barrels per day in 2012, indicating that the energy of current production in the field of 70 thousand barrels per day , but the real production of 50 thousand barrels per day, and is expected to remain at this level.
Iraq has exported a total of 2.088 million barrels per day in October, mostly from the southern fields, the total production of the northern fields around Kirkuk, about 460 thousand barrels per day.
For his part, said Mohammed for CEO (Genel Energy) on Sunday, that the production of crude oil in the field (Taq Taq) Kurdish region in northern Iraq, has risen to 90 thousand barrels per day.
Told during the conference for the said "soon in Taq Taq ... in January ... will be our production levels of 120 thousand barrels."